Last Monday, at my weekly stamp club meeting (The RA Stamp Club, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), OXFAM Canada was there with their stamps. OXFAM Canada receives donations of stamps, packages them and sells to collectors them to support OXFAM Canada programmes across the world. The people who run the stamp programme are all volunteers.
Last year, stamp collectors in Canada raised $26,000 by purchasing the stamps. Programmes that OXFAM Canada supports include teaching better farming methods to farmers in Nicaragua; to training people in Africa to manage and maintain their wells and water supply.
I picked-up a ziplok bag filled with U.S.A. on paper. The past week I've been soaking and mounting some lovely older (with nice postmarks) and clipping mounting newer stamps for my U.S.A. collection.
The most enjoyable time relaxing with my stamps was well worth the four dollars I spent!
David
(all mellowed out)
  2 Members like this post. Login to Like.
"President, The Society for Costa Rica Collectors"
I remember soaking stamps off for hours at night in front of the TV. I ended up with many duplicates, which I traded or still have in boxes.
It is nice to see your efforts making money going to charity. Is your purchase of the $4.00 going to the charity, or are you selling for the charity? How does this work?
The four dollars was handed over to the OXFAM Canada volunteers who had a table set-up with all their wares. They had a number of stamps, collections, and ziplock bags filled with stamps from various countries. One-hundred percent of the sales go directly to OXFAM Canada.
David
  1 Member likes this post. Login to Like.
"President, The Society for Costa Rica Collectors"
We used to be able to buy small packets of stamps in charity shops here in the UK. They were always reasonable value ( without being absolute bargains) and a good buy for all-world collectors like me. A particular favourite of mine was the little fundraising shops attached to volunteer lifeboat stations at the coast ( see RNLI.org) always a favourite charity of mine.They used to use prisoners in HM establishments(who volunteered) to soak and sort the stamps.
Alas this is no longer the case. I think any stamp donations go straight to dealers who sell them through auction,e-bay or in packets. Easier for the charity but I wonder if the revenue stream stacks up.
" Easier for the charity but I wonder if the revenue stream stacks up."
Back at the beginning of the 1990's I used to get stamps from an animal charity in Croydon. Her previous "dealer" was giving her 20p per pound weight for all world on paper kiloware.
She almost tore my arm off when I said I would give her 50p. I'm still sorting them!
Guess really it's a case of time and money for the charity.
  1 Member likes this post. Login to Like.
Please Note: Postings that were loaded from the old Discussion Board cannot be edited.